The shocking new information about the unexpected acceleration of global warming should frighten all of us into doing everything we can to try to slow or halt it. Alexandria’s Natural Resources branch, Arlington County’s Urban Forestry unit, and Tree Stewards have the answer: Plant more than 900 trees this month!

We need your help.

In Alexandria, Tree Stewards, their trainees, and other dedicated Alexandria volunteers will plant 48 trees supplied by the city’s Natural Resources section in Ben Brenman Park on Saturday, Nov. 17.  Planting will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 1 p.m., or when the last tree is snug in the ground. Tools and snacks will be provided. This event has a full complement of volunteers. Registration is closed.

Volunteers planted dozens of trees in Ben Brenman Park this spring, where Tree Stewards and others will return Saturday, Nov. 17, to install 48 more trees.

Tree Steward and other volunteers also will plant 600 saplings with Arlington Urban Forestry in Benjamin Banneker Park on Wednesday, Nov. 14, and Friday, Nov. 16, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. This park recently has been cleared of invasive plants along the banks of Four Mile Run and needs lots of help from trees to retain soil during what is becoming the typical 5″ to 11″ summer deluge. Here’s how the bank looks now:

Four Mile Run’s banks in Benjamin Banneker Park need the saplings that will be planted there on Wednesday, Nov. 14, and Friday, Nov. 16.

There are many mature trees on the site. So why so many seedlings? In a restoration planting such as this, the hope is that a large percentage of the seedlings will mature to full size and full service, including:

• breaking the fall of rain as it hits their leaves,
• absorbing rainwater with their roots,
• converting the water into sugars that feed the tree to help it grow larger and stronger,
• and helping to prevent erosion with root systems that, when mature, typically extend two to three times the width of the tree canopy.

Please register for Nov. 14 or Nov. 16 planting in Benjamin Banneker Park, 6620 18th St. N., Arlington. Arrive for sign-in and orientation at 12:15 p.m. each day.

Finally, we will plant 276 seedlings in Arlington’s lower Bluemont Park south of the picnic shelter from 12:30-3:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 19. This restoration planting will help the area along Four Mile Run retain soil during floods and stymie erosion during heavy rains. Here’s what the site looks like now:

A cleared area south of the picnic shelter in Bluemont Park, 329 N. Manchester St., Arlington, will get 276 new seedlings when Tree Steward volunteers plant there on Monday, Nov. 19.

This doesn’t show the southern migration of sand from a volleyball court during major floods this summer. Please register to plant with us on Monday. Nov. 19.

Thank you for registering and helping to restore our parks!